Standard Ten: Governance and Administration
Canada College is has been involved in an integrated planning process for almost a decade. The annual planning process for setting staffing, equipment, and facilities priorities is institutionalized and working well. All have an opportunity to be involved and good collaboration occurs between different units. The process appears to be well understood and accepted. On an annual basis, planning begins at the District level, with the adoption by the Board of Trustees of general institutional goals and budget priorities in late spring. College goals and budget priorities that are linked to the District goals, are established simultaneously. The college planning process includes annual division planning, starting at the departmental level and using input from all constituentsfaculty, staff, administrators to determine requests for staff, equipment, and facilities; all are given a chance to participate. The process moves to the division level for prioritizing, with input from the division councils on planning with budget implications; it then goes to the respective vicepresidents, with prioritizing at all levels. The Budget and Planning Committee is responsible for recommending overall priorities to the President, who communicates her decisions to the College Council.
The college planning process includes all components: educational, financial, physical, and human resources. College goals are tied to District goals and are guided by the president (ref 8). They are developed in a retreat that includes the College Council, the Classified Council, Academic Senate, and administrators, then refined by the College Council. Annually, the College Council meets with other shared governance bodies to review the past year's college goals, to decide which to continue, and to add new goals. The College's goals are again integrated with the District's goals. After being reviewed and revised through several steps, they are then shared in packets with all faculty and staff on opening day.
The College has made it a practice to incorporate recommendations from both the Self-Study and the Accreditation site team visits into its annual planning activities. In the recent past, these have appeared on a grid containing College mission, goals, objectives, timeline, budgetary needs and administrator/staff member responsible. Also noted on this grid are items identified by the various shared governance committees, the Chancellor, Board, Community, and the vision of our new President. In the current campus climate, these will be incorporated into the ongoing conscious planning for 2001/2002 and include consideration of external and internal funding resources anticipated. Specifically, the College proposes to integrate all of these planning recommendations it has made to itself into a comprehensive agenda that will provide a coherent, almost thematic guide for future institutional activities. A revised grid will be prepared that contains each of these items, located in relation to the College mission, values, goals or objectives, research data needed, relation to existing college grants, how the activities will be funded if necessary, and who will be responsible for supervising follow-up activities.
The items identified below, while numerous, represent an ambitious and responsive attempt to address those issues that have emerged as part of the self-study process. As a result of this self-study, the entire campus is more informed about the importance of research, planning and the integration of fiscal and human resources within existing facilities into a total planning process.
The self-study planning agendas reflect concerns and issues regarding both philosophy and implementation and were identified by consensus as areas the College needs to pursue.
Standard
One: Mission Statement
None
Standard Two: Institutional Integrity
- The Curriculum Committee will revise the Curriculum Handbook during the 2000-2001 academic year and have it ready for dissemination by Fall 2001.
- In Spring 2000, the President, with the Public Relations Office, the Office of Instruction, and the division deans, will establish a plan to advertise the college's programs through a series of brochures. Work will begin at the division level to follow this plan no later than Spring 2000. Faculty in each of the divisions will be asked to assist in this process, so that accurate program information is assured.
- In Fall 2000, the Associated Student Advisor, the Student Officers, and the Vice President of Student Services will review the new "Orientation and Student Handbook" to assure that it is consistent, clear, and accurate.
- The President of the Faculty Senate will work with her counter-parts at Skyline and CSM to add to the official student survey forms a question on objectivity and non-bias in instruction and in counseling.
- By Fall 2000, the Vice President of Student Services will assure that appropriate information on Student Right to Know, Conduct, Disciplinary Actions, and Due Process. is included in the 2000-2001 Student Handbook.
- By Fall 2001, instructors will include this information in Student Success and Introduction to College courses.
Standard Three: Institutional Effectiveness
- Within one year, the College will assess whether the current staffing for research is appropriate.
- Within one year, the research team will develop a process to disseminate research information to all members of the campus community.
- The college will link research closely to the planning and goalsetting mechanisms of the college so that research becomes a fundamental tool for helping the college define and reach its goals.
- The College Council will look at the current model for Program Review and may ask that more information on student satisfaction with the programs be included.
- The College and the District will work together to clarify and develop stronger linkages between District strategic planning processes and individual college's institutional planning.
- The new Budget Planning Council will make use of program review documents in its deliberations, thus adding another level of checks and balances.
- The college will carry out more intensive research into the issues of student success and retention.
- As part of the effort to strengthen the research function, the College will develop a process for assessing its research capability, the impact of that research on the institution.
Standard Four: Educational Programs
- By spring 2001, the institutional research staff, under the direction of the Office of Instruction, will develop a research plan and calendar to provide for regular assessment, and feedback of information to departments, of student and community educational needs.
- Similarly, the Vice President of Instruction, in conjunction with institutional research staff, divisions, and other groups, will carry out on-going research and evaluation of the need for program changes and additions, and seek funds to support the addition of new programs.
- College research staff, in collaboration with the Vice President of Instruction, will conduct research to assess how well students are able to complete programs or to transfer in a timely fashion.
- By fall 2001, the College Council and Academic Senate, in conjunction with the Vice President of Instruction, will propose a modification of the Program Review process to incorporate evidence showing whether students can complete their coursework in a timely fashion in all programs, occupational and transfer.
- The College should continue to hire full-time instructors and classified staff members, as positions are identified through the shared governance process, and investigate the funding of faculty reassigned time for projects that will increase enrollment. Grant monies and other sources of external funding should be pursued vigorously.
- In collaboration with the district's Facilities Department, the College should also continue to upgrade all its laboratories on an ongoing basis, improve the seating in classrooms which now have fixed chairs, upgrade the electrical power supply system, and continually upgrade software, especially for occupational programs.
- The Vice Presidents of Instruction and Student Services will lead an effort to plan a systematic academic advising system, including on-going training for advisors.
- The Vice President for Student Services will develop a process that ensures that
- all students receive appropriate systematic academic advising, have access to information and knowledge, including counseling and advising, and see counselors on a regular basis.
- By Fall 2001, the Vice President of Instruction will change the catalog format to make it more user friendly.
- By Fall 2001, the Vice President of Instruction and the Curriculum Committee will update the Curriculum Handbook so that there is consistency between course proposal forms and the handbook, as well as bringing up to date all other information.
- During 2000-2001, the Curriculum Committee will participate in a collegewide review and validation process for how courses meet Associate Degree general education criteria. This process is anticipated to continue beyond the 2000-2001 year.
- During 2000-2001, the Curriculum Committee, as part of the General Education review process, will review how competencies for the degree, including mathematics, are assessed.
- During 2000-2001, the faculty in those departments where students demonstrate competence in the use of language and computation will expand the use of norming of grades on a departmental basis.
- Department coordinators will work with the college researcher to obtain pertinent research data about the students being served within a program. This information will be used by the coordinators to maintain currency in occupational and vocational programs.
- During 2000-2001, the Curriculum Committee will participate in a review of the General Education philosophy and criteria, and develop standards for GE courses for the Curriculum Committee Handbook.
- The Curriculum Committee will modify course approval outline forms to include a specific requirement about how courses meet general education requirements.
- The Vice President of Instruction and the Curriculum Committee will update the Curriculum Committee Handbook before the start of the 2001-2002 academic year and periodically update it so that it is always current.
- The College Council and Academic Senate will consider modification of the Program Review process so that it is strengthened further, incorporating feedback from students about the quality of their experiences, and linking the results of Program Review to institutional planning, budgeting, and college goals.
- Student Services departments will be included in the regular six-year cycle of program review.
- Starting in Fall 2000, each division will consistently implement the mentoring program for new adjunct faculty.
- During Fall 2000, the college also needs to develop an evaluation system for online/distance courses.
- During 2000-2001, the Vice President of Instruction, in conjunction with division deans, will ensure that all faculty submit current course syllabi on a timely basis.
- Deans will encourage faculty in other departments to collaborate on norming sessions
- In collaboration with the district, the college will implement and begin using the degree audit system during 2000-2001.
- In collaboration with other district colleges and the district Curriculum Committee, college faculty and administrators will continue work towards common course numbering of those courses that are taught in common and towards aligning graduation requirements.
- The Vice President of Instruction will provide coordination and a closer link between the CTL's course offerings and staff and faculty technical training needs.
- The CTL needs to provide increased and adequate technical support for faculty and staff as they infuse the curriculum with technology mediated instruction.
- The college administration needs to require student services programs and corporate, community education and contract offerings to undergo periodic review by the College Council.
- During 2000-2001, the college research team, in collaboration with the Vice President of Instruction, will survey students and faculty in television and on-line courses and make strategic decisions about the future directions of distance education at Cañada College.
- The Technology Committee will develop a set of criteria for the preparation of faculty teaching on-line courses.
- The Technology Committee will develop a set of expectations for the offering of on-line courses to ensure consistency in quality of offerings and to ensure that these course meet standards of good practice.
Standard Five: Student Support and Development
- A& R will work with ITS and the Research Team to develop a means of collecting information on student needs from the application (Section 24) and of relaying that information to the programs that serve those needs
- The Vice President of Student Services and the new Coordinator of Student Activities will be responsible for updating the Student Handbook and publishing it for 2000-01. [The Budget committee will make the necessary funds a priority for the 2000-01 budget.]
- Division Deans will ask all faculty to include in their syllabi reference to the college catalogue and class schedules as a source of important information for students.
- The Vice President of Instruction will ensure that college policies appear on the college web site.
- Student Services, the college research team, and ITS will work together to develop a way to collect student needs data from the application form, and forward it to the appropriate programs. This project will be completed by June 2001.
- By the opening of Spring 2001, the Vice President of Student Services will design and implement an evaluative mechanism for each service area, by which students will assess the effectiveness of the service they have received, and offer suggestions for change and for additional or alternative service.
- The Coordinator of Student Activities will recruit, prepare, and nurture student members of college committees.
- The Student Activities Coordinator will explore opportunities for increasing student participation on college committees (e.g., Co-op Ed. credit, Independent Study credit, etc.)
- By August 2001, the Vice President of Student Services and the Student Activities Coordinator will develop an instrument for students to evaluate services received.
- The Coordinator of Matriculation, Articulation and Transfer (a new position) will develop a systematic approach to applying multiple measures when placing students, and ensure that they are used.
- The Vice President of Instruction, with Math Department faculty, will participate in a validation study for the Math placement test (MDTP).
- The Math and English faculty, under the guidance of the Vice President of Instruction, will continue to meet and work with high school teachers and counselors to improve articulation between high school and Cañada College courses.
- The Administrative Council, in collaboration with the Faculty And Staff Diversity Advisory Committee, will insure that the college continues to emphasize training for all college staff and faculty on the importance of cultural diversity and inclusion.
- The Vice President of Student Services will direct the Student Activities Coordinator to work with student organizations to encourage activities that are inclusive and that promote cultural diversity.
- The Student Activities Coordinator will oversee production of a campus activities newsletter.
- The Student Activities Coordinator will inform ASCC and student clubs of the appropriate means of arranging for meeting space and special events.
- The Student Activities Coordinator will update each semester a list of active student clubs, along with contact information. This information will be included in the schedule of classes, the College Handbook, the college's web page, and the "Pipeline."
- The Vice President of Student Services will establish target goals to implement the recommendations from the Matriculation Program Review and consultant recommendations.
Standard Six: Information and Learning Resources
- The new Reference Librarian will coordinate outreach and will schedule library training sessions during Flex Day activities.
- The Academic Coordinator will seek funding for an increased book collection and computer upgrades.
- Staff will participate in the new Library/ Learning Resource Center planning.
- Beginning Spring 2001, the new Learning Center Coordinator will convene the Learning Center Liaison Board at least once a semester to gather input from all divisions about collaborative opportunities to support the programs, courses, and degrees offered at Cañada, including the off-campus Learning Center and technology-based instruction..
- By Fall 2002, the Learning Center Coordinator will investigate, with input from the Liaison Board, expanding hours of service, including the possible addition of weekend hours.
- The Learning Center Program Supervisor will participate in Technology Committee meetings at least once a semester to develop plans for technological learning resources.
- Through these committees and other campus projects and initiatives, the Learning Center Coordinator and Program Supervisor will work with the Vice Presidents of Instruction and Student Service, Division Deans, faculty, and staff to further develop alternative methods of delivery.
- The College President, the Vice-President of Instruction, the Dean of Business, the Dean of Humanities and the Menlo Park Learning Center Coordinator will work on a strategic plan for the Center during Spring 2000 and Fall 2000. This plan will address how the Center fits into the over-all goals of the college, what curricula needs to developed or expanded, what staffing needs to be added, and what recruitment efforts need to be carried out.
- The
Off-campus Learning Center Coordinator, with the Dean of Business
and the Vice President of Instruction, will investigate installing
PLATO as a basic skills software program in all
computers in the Center. Two stand-alone packets will be purchased and installed by the end of Spring 2000 and piloted during Summer 2000. Plans will go forward to equip the remaining learning stations with PLATO access in Fall 2000.
- The Coordinator of the Center will develop an ESL internet learning module by Spring 2001.
- . The new district process will be evaluated for its effectiveness one year after implementation.
- More feedback mechanisms (questionnaires, suggestion boxes) in computer labs will be implemented
- The Technology Committee, which has been recently re-instituted, will meet once a semester as another forum to ensure faculty involvement in the selection, organization, and maintenance of educational equipment and materials.
- By Spring 2001, the Learning Center Program Supervisor will work with the computer technicians to develop training in troubleshooting to better handle day-to-day computer maintenance in the Center, and possibly other labs as well.
- To improve maintenance, the Menlo Park Learning Center Coordinator will participate in the proposed District changes described in numbers 1 and 2 of the Planning Agenda, Computer Labs, Topic 1.
- A plan to provide more computers for faculty curriculum development is being implemented and will be evaluated by the Campus Technology Committee.
- A comprehensive plan will be developed for the ongoing replacement and upgrading of computer hardware and software throughout the campus by the campus Technology Committee.
- Library staff will explore the possibility of expanding hours in the evening and on weekends.
- Library staff will coordinate an informational Flex Day activity for faculty and staff to promote usage of library services and resources, particularly electronic resources.
- Library staff will participate in planning the new, centralized Library/Learning Resource Center.
- Until a new library is built, library staff will focus on outreach efforts to increase usage of library resources and services among students, faculty, and staff.
- The Learning Center will explore the possibility of expanding hours of service in the evening and on weekends.
- The Learning Center staff will participate in planning the new, centralized Library/ Learning Resource Center, which will improve accessibility.
- The Dean of Business and the off-campus Learning Center coordinator will create a plan to improve and better utilize the multi-purpose room in the Menlo Park Center for various uses by Spring 2001.
- To insure that students are using lab resources effectively, the computer labs will seek greater faculty and staff involvement in the supervision of computers.
- To insure
that students are using lab resources effectively, the computer
labs will seek greater faculty and staff involvement in the
supervision of computers.
The college and district will identify funding for faculty computers and plan for systematic maintenance and replacement of computers to keep them up-to-date.
The college Vice President of Instruction will participate in and support the district's Human Resources efforts to develop a training program for administrative computer system users.
The Center for Teaching and Learning will survey faculty and staff to assess the sufficiency of its offerings. 22
The Library staff will pursue ways increase the library book replacement budget.
Campus administration and the Technology Committee will develop a technology plan that guides the college in technology planning, assessment, and purchases.
Standard Seven: Faculty and Staff
- As was intended by the AB1725 S.M.C.C.C.D. Trust Committee, an annual review should be conducted to provide consistency in the evaluation procedures of all faculty across the district.
- The availability of District Rules and Regulations should be publicized to all Cañada employees, so that when they have questions, wish to research Board policies, and/or need to review Board procedures, they know where to locate the information within their own division or in another College office.
- To make sure that employees do know where to access this information, the Director of Human Resources will advertise it in her "HR NEWS!" newsletter, and her staff will incorporate this information in the new employee orientation program.
- Since the Management Development, Professional Development, Trustees Program Improvement, AB1725, and Classified Staff Development committees work independently, we should investigate the possibility of a college-wide coordinator for all categories of staff development. This coordinator, a full-time administrator or possibly the Director of Development, would have the requisite knowledge of grants and funds available to guide applicants to all appropriate funding sources.
Standard Eight: Physical Resources
- The college should use facilities income to support facilities maintenance.
- The college and district need to complete a formal review of facilities.
- The college will develop list of projects that would be funded by a facilities bond.
- The college will continue to apply for state funding for removal of architectural barriers.
- New, and more effective, type of outside lighting will be installed.
- The college will carefully monitor the effect of district reorganization on the progress of maintenance and replacement of equipment.
- The college will include the potential impact on physical resources in planning process with San Francisco State University.
Standard Nine: Financial Resources
- During discussions regarding the 2001-2002 budget, the President will negotiate with district administration to develop a budget allocation model that will bring stability to the budget by recognizing the college's small size and fixed costs common to all institutions.
- College administrators will seek additional resources from the district and from external entities to develop new and update existing programs.
- College and district administration, in consultation with faculty and staff, will prepare annual capital plans, separate from the Five-Year Capital Construction Plan.
- The budget and planning process recently adopted will be reviewed and evaluated annually by the College Council.
- The District, in collaboration with the College Business Officer, will collaborate with district staff to provide regular training sessions for the Banner financial system, especially for new users.
- The College Business Officer will discuss with district staff the development of a district fiscal and operations manual that will include fiscal policies and procedures, as well as step-by-step procedures for creating requisitions, processing budget transfers, and reviewing account balances on the Banner finance system.
Standard Ten: Governance and Administration
- The Chancellor, via the Chancellor's Council and District Shared Governance Council, will continue to actively review and make recommendations to the Board about policies, statutes, and regulations that will ensure quality, accountability, and consistency in all college programs throughout the district.
- The College Council will evaluate the efficacy of the newly revised Budget & Planning process model after one year.
- The members of all standing and appointed committees, including screening and hiring committees, should be publicized college-wide.
- The Academic Senate should remind faculty of the availability of these sources at the beginning of each academic year.
- Supervisors should actively encourage and support participation of classified staff on all standing and appointed committees, including screening and hiring committees.
- The Classified Senate will provide to standing committees a list of potential classified personnel, after announcing committee openings, describing duties and time commitments involved, and seeking volunteers from its membership.
- The Vice President of Student Services will work with the President of the Academic Senate to distribute a bulletin to be read by teaching faculty during the first four weeks of classes outlining opportunities for students to participate in institutional governance, ASCC activities, and college committees.
- The Associate Chancellor should research alternative year-end fiscal closing procedures that would allow college spending through June.
- The Associate Chancellor should implement a more efficient purchasing procedure that starts procurement action sooner in the annual cycle, thus eliminating the year-end rush to negotiate and award contracts.
- The college will analyze communication problems and develop timely, consistent, and effective methods of communication.
- The Chancellor, with the participation of administrators, faculty, and staff from throughout the district, will evaluate, update, and modify both the Educational Master Plan and Facilities Master Plan every five to seven years.

